Blogs About Reading

Shanahan on Literacy

Timothy Shanahan

Literacy expert Timothy Shanahan shares best practices for teaching reading and writing. Dr. Shanahan is an internationally recognized professor of urban education and reading researcher who has extensive experience with children in inner-city schools and children with special needs. All posts are reprinted with permission from Shanahan on Literacy.

Seatwork That Makes Sense for Reading

September 15, 2020

Teacher question: I work with students in small groups daily and need the rest of the students to be engaged in meaningful practice of their new literacy skills. What types of activities would be best for this practice? Shanahan's response:

Does a Listening Deficit Predict a Reading Deficit?

September 4, 2020

Blast from the Past: This entry was first published on November 30, 2014, and was re-issued September 4, 2020. This blog entry has new relevance with so many teachers and students engaged in distance teaching/learning.

Teaching with Complex Text: Haven't You Ever Heard of the ZPD?

August 24, 2020

Teacher question: I’ve read what you’ve written about the instructional level. You claim that there is no such thing. Haven’t you ever heard of the “zone of proximal development (ZPD)?” Shanahan's response:

Silent Reading Comprehension Is Worth Teaching – Even at a Distance

August 18, 2020

Reading instruction is a faddish thing. We reading teachers can be as passionate and fickle as a gaggle of teens cooing over Billy Eilesh or TikTok.

Distance Learning: Improving Instructional Interactions in Guided Reading Lessons

August 11, 2020

Teacher question: Over the past two weeks, I’ve received several questions about distance learning and remote instruction. Here is just one example: “I may not be face to face with students for the entire year. Any help you can provide will be sincerely appreciated.” Shanahan’s response:

Is Amount of Reading Instruction a Panacea?

August 6, 2020

This entry was first posted on March 8, 2014 and was re-posted on August 1, 2020. This posting dealt with perhaps the biggest issue facing all of us today: the amount of reading instruction that students receive. I've long been convinced that amount of teaching is one of the three major tools that we have to improve reading achievement.